Keener window-cleaner

I'm very unhappy with this, when the f***has 5-3-2 worked for us?? Was that supposed to be a more attacking formation when we were 2 goals down?? The result of that master stroke tactics was that Adomah, our best scorer was played further back. The same with Grealish, playing further down the pitch and disappeared. Hourihane? Where was he supposed to play, completely wanished. We lost our play completely and hardly created anything, just hoofing it towards Davis. In one stroke half of our team was played out of position. The last 15 mins of the first half we managed to put them under pressure and played well. If we wanted to play more attacking, why not just take one midfielder off and go 4-4-2? We looked tired and uninspired from the beginning, we should have seen that coming having played that huge game against wolves three days earlier, why not make one or two changes? Birkir scored the goal of his life, let him play instead of Jedinak who looked tired from the start for example. Very bad managed by the Steves and Colin. You made a mess of it.

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That's a good point, I didn't think of it that way. I don't really know how his attitude was or if he contributed to a bad team spirit or not. He scored a lot of goals of course, but he was at the same time constantly linked away and at least his agent gave the impression that he wanted to leave several times. I also remember that I thought he often complained and gesticulated on the pitch, something I've seen him do at Palace too lately. Not sure if he is much different to others, but I agree with you, if he would bring back the memories of the bad team spirit, then I'd hesitate as well. Though without knowing anything about it really, wasn't it the last season when we were relegated that the team spirit really deterioated, with the Gabby antics etc? Or was it there also the season before when Benteke & co was here?

It's perhaps been asked already in different threads, but what would you think about bringing back Benteke if we go up? I read some rumours that Palace would be happy to let him go for £20M. I think he would fit in perfectly and would love to have him back. I have no grudges that he left and that's very few players I'd say that about.

Happy to see him play against wolves, I've regarded him as our best all-round and most complete central midfielder (except Grealish of course), and I have been puzzled why he hasn't got a sniff of match action lately. Hope he plays a big role in the run in of the season and shows how good he is.

Well that depends on what the reflection is. My point is that if he is played in a team that suits his style of play he will score goals, and that he is not a bad player. I don't think we should have bought him in the first place, if we had used the money on say Grabban a year ago perhaps we would have been at the top of the league now, or if we had kept Ayew and Gestede instead. But as I see it he gives 100 % and the criticism shouldn't primarily be directed at him. It's not his fault that we paid too much money for him, or that he at times has been played as an isolated lone striker with long balls hoofed to him, which clearly doesn't work for him.

I think it was a mistake signing him and he was too expensive. But he has 8 goals in 19 starts, 0,42 goals a game, which isn't that bad. By the way, Gabby has 1 goal in 2 starts - bring on the goal machine! :-D

I'm still amazed that we managed to get one of the leading scorers on loan in the middle of the season. Really masterclass business! He seems to make a perfect fit. Him coming in shows it was a mistake to replace Ayew, Gestede and McCormack with only Hogan last January. Glad the lesson was learnt and let's hope he fires up to the PL now!

I didn't say that Hogan is as good as Bent or Solskjär was in their prime. I compared their playing styles saying that Hogan is a poacher type like they were, and not a target player like Benteke for example. You don't agree with that?

The clearance in the first half when he kicked it over the bar was immense!

vice captain, leader, legend, goalscorer!

I want to see it again!

That was amazing! I had to watch the game by staring at my iphone on a train, still one of the best games I can remember!

I don't understand the criticism he gets. He is a poacher in the same mould as Darren Bent or Ole-Gunnar Solskjär in his time. Now I don't particularly like that kind of striker as they dont contribute enough in the general play and require that other players create chances for them, but it doesn't make them bad players. Look at Darren Bent, his first half a season with us he was great and scored invaluable goals, then the season after when his providers Young and Downing wasn't there anymore, he looked lost. Not because he suddenly became worse, but because we had McLeish and his style of play, without Young and Downing. Hogan in a Steve Bruce team without Grealish and Adomah is a bit the same as the McLeish-team. He simply doesn't fit in. In that kind of team you need the Benteke/Kodjia type. I prefere that type to the poacher type, but I don't agree with criticising Hogan for not scoring in a team that doesn't create chances for him, or calling him a bad player, which he isn't, or criticising him despite the fact that he seems to give it all he can, is loyal and tries his best. He isn't Benteke or Kodjia or Grabban and never will be, but he shouldn't get stick and be expected to be something he isn't. If he plays with players that picks out his runs and plays through-balls to him he has and will score goals. He works hard, has a good attitute and should be supported! Though not necessarily in the team.

vice captain, leader, legend!

Could Cattermole pull up his shorts a little bit higher?

My comparision to an Yacouba Sylla with goals was a bit harsch, a more sober comparision would be Thomas Hitzelsperger when I think about it. He also popped up with some great goals.

His goals are priceless and some of them have been real crackers as well, but without his goals he wouldn't be much more than a Yacoba Sylla on the pitch.

I agree, I made the same reflection, it was hard coming up with a RB. I totally forgott about Walker, he was really good the half a season he was here!

And in the upsidedown it would be: Postma Bacuna Richards Tiler Bennett Dawkins Djemba-Djemba Sylla Tonev Helenius Bowery

I'd go for: Bosnich Barrett McGrath Southgate Barry Milner Townsend Merson Staunton Benteke Yorke Subs: Friedel, Laursen, Delph, A Young, Saunders Now that's a really good team! I have big hopes of Grealish managing to get into that team in a couple of years.

The only bright spark of the game for me. Must have some balls to take the penalty like that in such an important part of the game and season.

I have defended him before, but I start to see the criticism he's getting. He was supposed to replace Jack as the creative force in the middle, but just doesn't do enough. He has good technique and has potential, but he doesn't seem to apply himself enough and doesn't run as much as he should. Must be a burden to play in a team where only Snodgrass is capable of creating anything though.

Hopefully, but I fear that in the next game we will see more or less the same line up as we started with today...